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Character Class
Here are a couple of notes of how the classes from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game operates in Phaeselis. Classes of Mars Fighters Fighters in the Hellenistic World study the arts of hitting each other in order to kill each other. Fighters typically are taught to defend themselves with the use of weapons and bare handed techniques. Hellene fighters learn how to fight with their spears or pikes, bows, swords, slings, throwing rocks, daggers, and bodies. So Hellene fighters are trained in a variety of fighting techniques, the main of which fighting in an infantry organization called a Phalanx. Elven fighters typically specialize in one weapon, hoping to combine magic with blade. Dwarven fighters tend to concentrate on one set of weapons, and halflings prefer daggers, for instance. Despite this, there are dozens of styles for a fighter to study how to hit and kill people. Barbarian Human barbarians are likely to come from the barbaric lands to the north, and the south. Elven barbarians are almost invariably Pelagasiri elves. Few dwarves are barbarians, and drow never have “barbarians” within their society. Barbarian is a word that means “Foreigner.” Barbarians have strange cultures and are attracted and awed by Hellenic Civilization. In respect to Phaeselis, they marvel at Phaeselis’ powers of the mind. They hold Phaeselis’ scholars, philosophy, battle technology, science, and art in awe. They marvel at how so many people of four disparate cultures could work and live together smoothly. A Barbarian, in the word of “Warrior” is typically an uncouth fighter that has the ability to rage. Barbarians of this type typify the class. They are almost invariably Pelagasiri Elves, Orcs as a whole, or humans from far off lands such as Bactria, or the Ivory Kingdoms, or the fabled Hyperboreans and the Fabled Isles of the Sea. Magus A long time ago, the Archmeniad Empire sent it’s army to deal with the problem of Phoenicia when it’s Aryavartan Satrap rebelled. It’s army was 50% made up of Magi, and Magi represented the 10,000 Immortals. Led by Cyrus the Not so Great, the army faced the Psionic Powers of Phaeselis. The battle was glorious against the Kshatriyas and Hebrew army of Phoenicia and the Archmeniad Armies. Phoenicia defeated Cyrus the Not so Great and took several Magi into abject slavery. Most of these had their memories wiped and lived out their lives as harmless slaves, other more capable Magi were mind seeded, and were retrained as psychic warriors. During the Hellenic Conquest, the Hellenic Army defeated the Magi a second time. They chased the Magi Army all over the Archmeniad Empire, proving that the tradition shelters cowards and murderers. The Magi is a fighting and spell using tradition (or class) that is in decline. Very few people go into the class since there are few teachers of the class. Magi demagogues are few and far in-between since the Phalanxes don’t include them in their Auxillaries. Athlete (Monk) An Athlete is the Western counterpart of the Monk class. In fact, they may be the first monks, ever. They train in the gymnasium, naked and unashamed. While most athletes train for competing in the Olympic Games in Hellas, others use their skills in a more (un-)practical manner. Adventuring. The Adventuring Athlete trains in boxing, wrestling, and pankration in order to defeat his or her enemies using her body as weapons. While many laugh at these adventuring athletes hitting their foes with their fists and feet, those in the know they are only following in the footsteps of the legendary Hercules. Cavalier Cavaliers are known as the Companions or Hippeis. They are known as the Companions and are typically part of the Cavalry. There are only one suggested Archetype: the Harrier. The Phalanx formation mainly depends on the heavy infantry rather than the Cavalry, although the Cavalry is being used more and more. Ranger Rangers exist in the setting, but very few are trained as most of their action happens outside the city. There are a few Urban Rangers, but the few are trained as Pomdromoi, or harriers. Despite this, a Ranger can thrive in an Urban setting quite easily. Classes of Hermes and Dionysius Wizards Wizards in Phaeselis are rare and are not universally treated respect. They are seen as using something that is truly limiting or are treated as children when it comes to harnessing and using power. Wizards rely power externally, molding what they call the eldritch power into spells. While the powerful wizard can command respect by throwing around an impressive amount of power, that respect is short lived. Wizardry in Phaeselis revolves around traditions. Each tradition has an approach with which they can cast spells. While wizards cast the same spells, each tradition approaches magic differently and have different styles of magic. The Tradition of Sin: This is the Native Wizardry of the Phoenician quarter. Wizards in Phoenician (Hebrew) society are not given accorded respect and are treated as sinners. Those that trafficked with familiar spirits and used magic were usually executed by stoning according to Phoenician Law. With the dominion of the Archmeniad Empire, Wizards received more respect: since it is against Archmeniad Law to slay a Wizard. Still they were denounced, so the Wizards embraced their stigma and became extreme specialists: each specializing in a school of magic named after one of the Seven Sins. Called Sin Mages, although they don’t truly traffic with runes, these Wizards secretly seek to upset the balance of power in Phoenicia and take over the city. To create a Phoenician Sin Mage, you create a wizard specialist according to the Sin Magic Specialist rules. The Hermetic Tradition: This is the Hellenic native tradition. It’s a Wizard in every possible way according to the Core Rules. Mages usually study magic in the Tradition of the Temple of Hermes, and learn magic by way of the God of Magic. As a matter of course, most Hermetic Wizards worship the God of Thieves, Messengers, Travelers, Luck, and Magic. Most of the time, hermetic mages are called Hermetic Philosophers in the Hellenic quarter, or Swami in the Vedic Quarter. The Massalian Elvish Tradition: The Massalian Elves specialize in Magic of the Demonic. Called Warlocks, Massalians have pet demons: ranging from a burning imp, to a seductive succubus, to a battle ranging Chain Demon. The Massalian elves absolutely believe that they need demonic magic to thrive in the world, so they use fire to fight fire. To create a Massalian warlock, you create a wizard specialist in Infernal Binding or a warlock. The Primalists: Lately, a couple of wizards have been visiting the old battlefields of the Hellene Conquest. Magic was released on both sides, and some even produced magic with highly variable results in their area. Through study of this magic, the ressurected the prehistoric tradition of magic. Called Primalists, these mages play with forces people can hardly understand. Their magic is so unpredictable that many have been banished from the city, sent to cities like Archaeopolis and Alexandria Eschate (Alexandria the Furthest). There are few of them in the city, and the tradition depends solely on the Master-Apprentice model of teaching. To create a primalist, one creates a wizard with the Primalist archetype. Sorcerers Sorcerers rely on casting spells on instinct. They often challenge the Wizardly approach to magic saying they’d rather improvise than rely on a codified set of magical words and gestures. Still, sudden magic aside, Sorcerer bloodlines are rare in the city of Psionics. Despite this, a new sorcerous tradition has appeared in Phoenicia. Found mostly among the recent immigrants from Aryavarta, they are found among the ethnic Archmeniads as well. The sorcerous tradition is Tattoo Magic. Sorcerers with tattoos are showing up with some frequency, and some are stopping here to go to more Northern and Western lands. Sorcerers are commonly known as hermetic sophists among the Hellenes and as jādūgars among the Aryavartans. They are also known as stone-bait among the Phoenicians, for sorcerers too, were stoned to death in Phoenician society. Sorcerer Bloodlines The following bloodlines are common in Phoenicia: Accursed, Abyssal, Arcane, Celestial, Destined, Dreamspun, Draconic, Imperious, and Serpentine. To create a Tattooed Sorcerer, a player can refer to the Tattoo Magic rules. Alchemist The Alchemist isn’t considered an Arcane Magic casting class, neither in history or now. However, in the PathfinderRPG, they are considered to be one. Alchemists practice Chymistry or the Art of Khem. Many are natural philosophers, seeking to unlock the secrets of the Universe through logic and science. Some of them are considered Mad: since they delve into things that normal people often do not wont to do. Alchemists who make themselves frauds and lie about their power are often executed in the most extravagant ways possible. Sometimes, they may be forced to wear clothes made of tin foil. Other times, they are hung while wearing clothes of tin foil. And other times, they are covered with tar and feathers. However, in the Hellenic tradition, it’s usually considered humane to simply force the fraud to drink hemlock juice. The Summoner Summoners are considered entertainers in Phaeselis society. Their ability to summon something called an Eidolon is often considerable, but shapers say that the Eidolon is much more limited than their Astral Constructs. Still, some summoners try to find respect, but many people laugh. Many of the naysayers in a crowd were forced to respect a powerful summoner who often made them pay dearly for their humiliation. The Witch Witches hide, and are reviled and feared. Even among the Massalian Elves, Witches are feared. Witches and their obscure black magic of hexes and curses, are more feared than any other arcane class. Witches are hunted down. Publically, the witch hunts are denounced and only those that are proved to use their magic to cause harm are often subjected to personality death (i.e. Mind Seeded). Witches usually worship Hecate, a dark goddess in the Hellenic Tradition, but they may worship anything from Cybele to a demon. The Bard Bards are a respected part of the community in Hellenic times, whether or not they can cast magic. Bards pass down the traditions of the elders through oral storytelling, and many can read and write. The poems they recite are sung. A bard is not educated, a bard is made and his power is honed through education. In Phoenicia, every three years, the bards go to the Delphic Oracle to participate in the Pythian Games, and every four years, the Olympic Games. Bards often write plays, produce plays, act, tell stories, and sing. They pretty much do it all. Adventuring bards, if any want to get into that nonsense, are often viewed as abnormal among the performer community because it’s easier to make money performing than it is adventuring. But still, the Adventuring Bard, when he is done, comes home with new songs and new stories to add to the grand oral and written traditions. Classes of the Awakened Aegis The aegis is the strangest of the psionic classes, and there aren’t very many of them. Those who are aegoi (plural of Aegis) are capable of creating a suit of ectoplasmic armor around themselves and can defend themselves expertly. As a result, the suit is considered to be medium quality, and the Aegoi are often deployed in the medium infantry of the Phalanx. They are frontline combatants, and they are not taken lightly when at war. Cryptic Cryptics act as protectors of the city and of the cities' denizens. Very few cryptics exist in the city for the very reason that they are very few in the first place. The cryptics, as a class in the relation of the world, came into being in Hellas around the time of the Seven Sages (although they many have sprang into being in the Middle Kingdom separately). They are the result of psionic beings putting the more patterned aspect of Pythagoreanism into practice. As Hellenic culture, and the philosophy of Pythagoreanism spreads, so do the Cryptics. Dread Fear is a powerful thing. Fear is a powerful emotion that invokes the flight or fight response in most thinking beings, including those that have the power to reason. Whenever men of power rule through fear, this class flourishes. Dreads are hidden, dreads are unseen, but they do battle with fear. Fear is their weapon, Fear is what they use to either cause men to stumble, cry, and babble. In the city of Phaeselis, there are few dreads. Few people able to invoke and do battle with fear. But in other parts of the world, where men are ruled by fear, there are many dreads. Marksman The psionic Marksman has always existed. The class appeared in the ancient land of Khem and Aryavarta, before anyone realized how special psions are, Marksmen were thought to be ordinary archers with extraordinary abilities. Today, the Marksmen are fielded as part of the Toxotai units in a Phalanx formation. Although thought of as nothing special, psionic Marksmen have been mixed with regular archers, giving the Phalanx archery support. Lately, though, many of them have come to Phaeselis. Psion Psions represent some 65% of the people who able to create Supernatural effects. In the City of Psionics, the psion is the most commonly encountered class. Psions gather here from all over the Hellenic World, drawn here as a place of peace so that they can achieve the highest of human potential. Psions in Phoenicia are taught either the Will and the Way, which is the Western Tradition of Psionics; or the Chakra Way, which is the Eastern tradition of Psionics. The Will and the Way concentrates on Desire and manipulating reality by your Desire; while the Chakra Way takes an internal approach. The release of Chakra energy is the power of Psionics; and the psion bends this chakra energy to produce effects. Psions are highly respected in Phoenician society. The power to bend minds through the will, to move things through space through force of will, or anything else commands more respect in the city than casting a simple spell. Psions can be very powerful in the City of Psionics, and unlike other lands, they are treated with respect rather than reviled. Psychic Warriors Like the Fighters, Psychic Warriors are trained to kill other human beings. Also called Mercenary Psionicists, Psychic Warriors are often trained like fighters to fight in the Phalanx armies. And many Psychic Warriors go on campaign and adventure with the Phalanxes. And many come back. Psychic warriors also must provide for their own armor before going on campaign. Some can afford the Hoplite armor: consisting of a heavy cuirass (usually muscled) or a linothorax, a helmet, greaves, a hoplon, a sword, and a spear. Those who can’t afford it were either put into the medium infantry, or the Psiloi/Gymnitai (light infantry or extremely light infantry). Like fighters, there are many psychic warriors of many traditions. These traditions are called paths. All of the paths are considered valid; with the Aesthetic Warrior and the Mind Knight paths taken by the Kshatriya Caste of the Aryavartans. The only path regarded as a coward’s path is the Assassin’s path. Soulknife Soulknives have the ability to create their own weapons, and typically are fielded into the battle with the Phalanx among the light infantry as part of the psiloi or the gymnitai. However, they are considered to be the paladins among the Lemurians in their neverending battle against evil. They are often trained as skirmishers, but soulknives have been deployed as commando troops by Hellenistic commanders. As they move ever so lightly, as they can, literally, create their own weapons from their own minds. Suggested Archetypes: Armored blade, Nimble Blade, Shielded Blade, Soulbolt. Vitalist Vitalists use their psionic powers for healing. Vitalists, however, always existed and many in Aryavarta had started the tradition of Ayurveda, and many Vitalists were inspired by Huangdi to start the tradition of Acupuncture. There were few Vitalists among the Hellenes, but those that are take the hippocratic oath and follow the traditions of Aesclepius. Vitalists fulfill a special role in society. Wilder Psions are formally educated in their power. The wilder, however, isn’t. Wilders stumble on their powers on accident, or have very little training and forgot the discipline to unlock certain powers available to them. Wilders are from the lower classes, those that can’t afford to send their children to school to get formally educated in developing their powers. The result are that these wild children are forced to find their own paths. Wilders often lead strange lives in contrast to the disciplined life of the Psion. Wilders often throw themselves into wild abandon often exploring life to the fullest. Adventuring wilders are often all over the place, as their power is linked to emotion rather than discipline. A wilder’s wild display of emotion can clash with some psions and their disciplined approach. Classes of the Gods Clerics Clerics in Phaeselis can administrate of or adventure representing many different religions. So many different religions in fact that Phaeselis is jokingly referred to as the City of a Thousand Gods. There are many different gods a player can choose for his cleric to represent. Or he can make up one of his own. Despite this, most of the populace worship Source. Paladins Paladins can represent Athena, Ares, Rama, or Vishnu (the latter being of Aryavartan origin). Paladins of Athena fight defensively, while Paladins of Ares fight offensively. The paladins of Rama and Vishnu strive to uphold a code of honor represented by their gods. There a number of the equivalent of knighthoods a paladin can join, including the Sons of Ares, Athena's Pride, and the Order of Kharma. Oracles Most oracles do not adventure in Phaeselis, as they are the mouthpieces of the gods. Those that do, often do so at the urging of their gods. There are dozens of gods to choose from, or the player can just make one up with the GM. There are no oracles of Source; and all seers are considered to be psions (see the psion class). Other Classes of Hermes Rogues Category:Player's Guide Category:Classes